Folktale from Sweden
The Grinder that produced silver pennies.
Once upon a time there was a farmer who had a most remarkable grinder. It could produce silver pennies. When the king heard this he wanted that grinder and took it from the farmer. The farmer was very sad. He was devastated.
The cockerel went up to him and said:
– Do not be sad! I Will go to the king and ask to have your grinder back!
And off he went.
On his way through the deep forest he was thinking about how he could accomplish his task, when he met an Old troll.
– Why do you look so troubled? the troll asked.
– I am on my way to the king to tell him to give back the grinder to the farmer.
– Nothing else? That is a piece of cake! I Will give you good advice! Bring everyone you meet along!
And the troll disappeared. The cockerel went on. He had hardly walked 100 steps when he met a fox.
– Hi, My friend will you come with me to the king?
– Why not, said the fox.
– Come and walk under my wing, said the cockerel and of they went.
Soon they met a wolf.
– You could be helpful, the cockerel said, come with us to the king!
– With pleasure, the wolf said.
– You can walk under my other wing, the cockerel said and off they went.
After a while they met a big bear.
– Do not run away! the cockerel cried, walk under my tail feathers for now we are on our way to the king!
When they arrived at the castle the cockerel went up the staircase and called out so that the walls and the roof trembled. The king rushed out crying:
– who is shaking my castle?
The cockerel answered:
– Give the farmer his grinder back or you will suffer!
The king was angry, he threw the cockerel to his terrifying rams, intending to kill him. The cockerel let out the fox and when the kings servants came to feed the rams in the morning they were all dead.
The cock went up on to the staircase and called:
– Give the farmer his grinder back or you will suffer!
Now the king was even more angry:
– you again! I will finish you off!
And the king became even more angry and threw the cockerel to his ferocious bulls. The cock let out the wolf and when the kings servants came to look after the bulls in the morning they were all dead.
The cockerel went up on to the staircase and called so loud that the whole foundation of castle trembled.
– Give the farmer his grinder back or you will suffer!
Now the king was really angry and threw the cock to his wild horses. The cock let out the bear and when the kings servants came to look after the horses in the morning they were all dead.
The cockerel went up on to the staircase and called so loud that the whole castle trembled
– Give the farmer his grinder back or you will suffer!
The king was in a terrible rage. He told his servants to take the cockerel out on the lake and drown him. But the cockerel drank all the water so that he became round as a barrel.
And once more the cockerel went up the staircase and called out so loud that the whole castle rocked to its very foundations.
– Give the farmer his grinder back or you will suffer!
The king built a bonfire, put the cockerel on top and lit the fire. The cock spat out all the water he had been drinking, the fire went out and king and his people almost drowned.
Then he went up the staircase and called seven times’ as high:
– Give the farmer his grinder back or you will suffer!
The king did not give up. He told his servants to cook the cockerel so that the king could eat him. And the king really ate the cockerel, but as he opend his month the cockerel stretched out his head and called:
– Give the farmer his grinder back or you will suffer!
The king was terrified and told his servants to cut of the head of the cockerel.
The servants took the sharpest sword and next time the cockerel stretched out his head, the servant cut! But the cockerel was so fast in drawing back his head that the servant cut of the head of the king.
Thus the farmer got his grinder back. The cockerel flew up on to the roof, and there he sits whether it rains or storms, just to show that this story is absolutely true.
Read the fairy tale in Swedish
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